But wait! What about...?

No worries! We love that you're concerned and invested in your dog! Believe it or not, but we have a ton of answers. In fact, we might have answered one or more of your questions. Quickly look through these frequently asked questions and see if you find your answer. If not, head over to the CONTACT page and fill out the form!

What are your prices?

We prefer taking payment through Venmo or Cash. If you need to break up payments, we use PayPal Credit for payment plans. The details are in the link.

Why should I do private lessons when I can just send my dog to a board and train facility?

We find that most of our clients have already been through a board and train type program and actually need more one-on-one guidance to help the dog transition back to a home environment and maintain all the good behavior he learned in training.

Board and train programs are effective! There's no question about that. Most trainers and training companies can achieve all of your wishes within a matter of weeks. The problem is once the dog "goes home." Board and trains encourage the dog to listen to the trainer...but not the owner. We don't want the dog to listen to us! We want the dog to listen to YOU! We're not the dog whisperers! YOU ARE!

We're also slightly selfish...you see, we prefer human interaction. It's a lot more fun that way!

What training methods and tools do you use?

We train in a style that the mainstream has come to call Balanced Training. We prefer to remove labels as this only encourages bias and limits open-mindedness. We do use a combination of positive reinforcement such as food, markers, praise, and touch, and negative reinforcement such as spatial, verbal, and physical pressure to clearly communicate with a dog what is wanted and what is undesirable.

We believe in correctly, safely, and humanely using any tool in the toolbox that the dog responds to best. Some of the tools we use are: tone of voice, body language, flat buckle collar, prong collar, verbal markers, food, dressage whip, "bonker", e-collar/remote training collar, slip lead, pet convincer, muzzle, dominant dog collar, and martingale collar.

If you have any issue with these tools, please feel free to ask why. We'd love to show you and educate you on how to properly and humanely use each of them and see the benefits. But if you feel these tools and methods aren't what you're looking for, then we can refer you to other trainers in the area that might be more suited to your style.

When can we start training? Isn't my puppy too young?

Short answer...NOW!!! As soon as you bring your puppy home, you are training, whether you know it or not. Everything you allow is training your puppy to keep doing. Everything you don't allow is training your puppy to stop doing.

We're here for you from day 1! We help you address everything from potty training and nipping to chasing the cat and garbage diving! Check out the PUPPY PROGRAM for more details.

Yeah, but my dog is deaf and senile. Isn't he too old to be trained?

Is he still breathing? Is he still eating? Then yes, your dog can still learn what is acceptable and what isn't acceptable.

This is where training gets a little tricky though. Yes, your dog can be trained, but we do need to take his age and medical history into account.

In situations where a senior dog is expressing severe behavioral issues, like anxiety and aggression, it's best to consult with both your veterinarian and trainer. Work together to formulate a plan that addresses everyone's interests and concerns.

Before we sign up, can we meet you for a consultation?

Absolutely!!! In fact, we encourage it! And we want to provide you the most value, so we don't even charge for the consult if you come to us. There is a travel fee if we come to you.

I've been to other trainers with unsatisfactory results, what makes your program more effective?

We don't really know why the other program or trainer failed to meet your satisfaction, but we know that we can achieve the goals most of our clients are looking for.

How do we achieve this? We focus on the big picture, your relationship with your dog, not just the visible behavior issues. This is where and why most behavior problems arise and become worse. For this reason, we encourage all clients to go through our PRIVATE LESSONS PROGRAMS as opposed to a traditional board and train no matter how enticing. The majority of the time, it's both of you that need training...not just your dog.

If you're still on the fence, we encourage you to read this testimonial...

We initially started training with a different team in Utah County. They promised many things, but sadly failed to deliver. By this time, we were getting desperate for some help and called Sara. We signed up for her private, in-home lessons and we were NOT disappointed! From day one, Sara had a plan in place and knew what best to teach us.

She is about teaching YOU how to train your dog, not just ‘Sara trains our dog and walks away and we have no idea what to do’.

DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME! Call Sara today! Right now. Go!

— - Mandy P. & Family w/ Syl

...Did that help? Ok, now let's schedule a time to meet in person for a free consultation. Just fill out the NEW CLIENT QUESTIONNAIRE on the contact page!

Can you teach my kids to take care of their dog?

Actually, we specialize in teaching EVERYONE in the household, including parents, kids, roommates, and even grandparents.

However, dogs are pack animals. They don't belong to any one person. So, what this means, is that while we work with everyone in the family, we do expect everyone to work together and help with the training...yes mom and dad, that means you need to be present during lessons.

Do you offer boarding?

Actually, we do! But on a very limited and premium basis. We reserve this special service for our training graduates as we care for our guests from the privacy and luxury of our home! For more information, visit our Perkspage to see how you can qualify!

Psst! We also offer daycare! We especially encourage signing up your puppy for Day Camp as it is a great way to socialize without the stress and uncertainty of dog parks.